


Reflections

by HiddenLycan



Category: Tales of Berseria
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Introspection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-06-12 09:09:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 17,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15336564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenLycan/pseuds/HiddenLycan
Summary: Pocket scenes of Velvet, Eleanor, and their relationship together from their introduction to their final chapter. Attempts to be canon-compliant timeline-wise.





	1. Ch. 1: An Introduction in the Cold

“A gald for your thoughts?”

Rokurou flipped a coin into the air. After their encounter with the infamous yak, Rokurou had requested for a desperately needed shower and a good meal at the Beardsley Inn before they set off to hunt Dyle. Velvet, not particularly wanting to fight alongside the smelly swordsman, acquiesced.

“Nothing much. Just wondering about that exorcist,” Velvet nodded her head towards the window. Said exorcist was currently mulling outside the inn, inquiring about any recent daemon encounters as well as any clues on the wanted daemon.

“Ah, I see. She is pretty cute.” Rokurou gave a huge grin. “Your type?”

“What?!” Velvet growled, accidentally slamming the table. A few pairs of eyes rose up to peek at the outlandish pair. Velvet looked away from them. A memory of another girl in pigtails flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes to shake away the thought before continuing, “No. More thinking about how foolish and naive she is.”

“Oh. How so?”

Velvet looked back to the swordsman in disbelief. Really? Did she really need to explain to him? He smirked in return. Sighing, she decided to humor him.

“She shouldn’t be here. If her job was to patrol for the Abbey, she should have remained in Hellawes, finished her duty, and moved onto the next city. Any efforts to locate Dyle should have been placed under Teresa’s jurisdiction and her orderlies.”

_And under the Abbey’s perfect logic and principle, she shouldn’t have shed tears over these people, outcasts of the Abbey. Nor should she have tried to save them. But...she’s the stupid type that wants to save everyone she can, isn’t she?_

Rokurou glanced at his now-silent partner who was focusing intently on the exorcist. After a few more seconds, Velvet rose from the table.

“Are you done drinking? We have a target to catch.”

“Yup, all good to go.” He finished the last few drops of his sake. “You want to say any farewells to Ms. Exorcist?”

“No.” And Velvet turned around sharply, striding towards the door.

~~~~~~~

“ _Why make excuses to me?”_

Why had she tried to justify it to that girl? That strange, very revealing, very fit, definitely attractive, – Eleanor slapped a hand to her forehead – girl. Sitting on a bench on Beardsley’s hill, Eleanor had begun to reflect over the day’s activities.

_It’s not like me to reveal my misgivings to a stranger. Why did I do that?_

She clasped her hands together and stared at a random patch of snow on the ground.

_Maybe I just wanted someone to agree with me. To say that what I’m doing in this village is right._

Eleanor looked up from the snow to the village below, filled with people milling about through their day.

_I know logically I shouldn’t be here. I should be returning to Port Zekson. But I still have two days before the ship comes to pick up our group._

She stood up from her bench.

_Still though, even if I have two extra days, the correct place to put my effort would be to remain stationed at Hellawes and ensure that no daemons enter the city._

Eleanor bit her lip and her eyes began to water again. Memories of a burning island village and feral roars flooded her senses. She shook her head and clenched her hands into fists.

_No, I cannot allow something like that to happen again. Not under my watch._

Head held high, Eleanor descended the hill, resuming her investigation of the evasive lizard daemon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> Summary should explain it, but if it isn’t clear, this will be a series of off-screen thoughts/conversations inspired from the game with a Veleanor focus. The chapter titles generally describe which plot point the characters are in in the game timeline.
> 
> This is going to be a long run, because the game is long, but I'm going to do my best to see this through.


	2. Ch. 2: A Clash of Spear and Sword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Velvet's and Eleanor's clash in Hellawes.

After the battle at the port, the daemon and her crew had left the city behind in flames and smoke. With all of Teresa’s division and some of Hellawes’ citizens, Teresa and Eleanor had finally managed to extinguish the fire. Leaving the rest of the mess to her orderlies, Teresa hurriedly stalked up to Eleanor’s side. Grabbing the exorcist’s wrist, Teresa pulled roughly, spinning Eleanor around to face her.

“That daemon...she called you a ‘crybaby exorcist.’ Is she a friend of yours?”

At the sound of “friend”, Eleanor’s eyes narrowed in fury. She tugged her hand away from Teresa’s grip.

“No! Why would I be friends with a daemon? You know I despise them.”

“Still, you two know each other.”

“We met once before.”

“Where you were crying.” Teresa lifted an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. Eleanor groaned, her hand meeting her forehead.

“I hadn’t known she was a daemon then.” She then stood up straight and moved her hand to her heart. “But I know now. And if we ever cross paths again, I will defeat her.”

“I should hope that you put up a better impression than ‘crybaby exorcist’ at the very least,” Teresa said before turning around, getting ready to return to her soldiers. “But if you do see her again, don’t finish her. I will do that deed.”

_For Oscar’s sake, that daemon will be severely punished._

Watching Teresa’s back fade in the distance, Eleanor’s hand, still placed on her chest, became a fist. The smell of ash and gunpowder lingered in the air.

_The next time we meet, I will definitely defeat that daemon._

~~~~~~~

“I’m starting to see why they would want to execute you.” Velvet rolled her eyes in exasperation.

“Hehe, I don’t know. I think the exorcists were actually charmed by me. I am quite the captivating maiden, you know?” Magilou leaned back with her head in her hands and grinned. “Enough about me, though. Why don’t you tell me about that new friend of yours back at the port? I’m a bit hurt you didn’t introduce me to her.”

“Her?” Velvet raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you already meet Tere- Oh her...” Velvet looked away to the right. “She’s no friend. Just an exorcist we met while searching for Dyle.”

“Just an exorcist? Rokurou had said she was a praetor as well.” Magilou cocked her head. “You’ll probably encounter her again in the future.”

“And why do you care? You’ll probably jump ship once we reach Loegres again.”

“Ah, you’re right of course. I don’t really care that much, but it is kind of amusing.” Magilou twirled around to face the sea. “Why would that exorcist be crying, hmm? For such a highfalutin position of praetor, you think she’d know how to reign her emotions in front of the public.”

“Hmph, it doesn’t matter to me. If she gets in my way, I’ll kill her.”

~~~~~~~

 

Extra:

“If it comes to that, I’ll help you defeat that villain, Madam Eleanor!” A tiny strangely-dressed malak appeared before Eleanor.

“B-Bienfu?! W-What did I say about coming out without my permission!”

“Thaaat I shouldn’t do it, biennnnn. But there’s a bad-bad daemon threatening my mistress!” The malak leaned back proudly and put a fist to his chest.

“So I want you to remember that you can count on me! I will protect you, Madam Eleanor!”

...And we know how the rest of that story goes.


	3. Ch. 3: The First Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleanor catches Velvet and co. burning a storehouse in Port Zekson.

“That seems to be the last of the fire. Please take a rest, Madam Exorcist!” a rugged man called out to Eleanor.

Using the back of her gloved hand, Eleanor wiped the sweat off her forehead and sighed. She had been dousing one too many fires recently.

_All because of that daemon…_

She gritted her teeth. Seriously, what was that daemon thinking, going around destroying livelihoods? A feeling of pure anger flared through her chest, but Eleanor quickly quelled it.

_No, I must not let my emotions get the better of me._ She shut her eyes in deep thought. _In order to do what’s right, I need to suppress my feelings so that I can think in terms of reason. And there must be a reason to this. That daemon doesn’t seem like the type to simply follow her base instincts. There has to be an underlying goal for all of this destruction._

“Madam Exorcist, I hope you capture those runaway daemons soon. This is the third time they struck this week!” a woman cried out while offering a wet towel to Eleanor. Eleanor gladly accepted before pausing.

“The third time? Could you tell me more about the other incidents?” She questioned the woman. The woman happily complied and proceeded to fill in Eleanor on all the details. Eleanor listened closely, only interrupting to obtain clarification.

_I need to hurry and figure out their goal so I can stop them._

_And I will stop them._

_I don’t want any more lives destroyed._

~~~~~~~

 

“ _That she can still carry on shows just how strong she is. It looks like they don’t hand out the rank of praetor to just anyone.”_

“ _Hmm?”_

“ _Just stay sharp around her. That’s all.”_

Eizen’s words from earlier resonated in her head. Unable to sleep, Velvet had instead chose to sit on her windowsill, gazing at the moon. Today had been a particularly eventful day. The crew had wrapped up their final task on the Bloodwings’ job list, learned their client’s true name, obtained some much needed information on Artorius, and now had to get ready to assassinate a high priest the next day. Even for the therion, it was a bit too much to sleep on. So Velvet chose to spend some time clearing away some of her thoughts before attempting to sleep a second time.

And now her thoughts rested on a particularly pesky exorcist.

Although Magilou had mentioned the idea, Velvet hadn’t expected to encounter the crybaby again so soon. Weren’t there a hundred praetors in the Abbey? How and why did she keep on running into this one?

Eizen wasn’t lying about her strength, though. The exorcist had fought well in their battle against her. Unlike Oscar who was straightforward and upfront in his sword thrusts and Teresa who kept to the back with her elemental spells, the crybaby played somewhere more in the middle, closing in when there was an opening and retreating when needed. Despite going up against a group of four, she had held her own, gracefully swinging and spinning her spear in a precise manner, easily switching between melee attacks and malak artes.

And if Velvet wasn’t her enemy, she might have even thought the exorcist was beautiful in her movements.

_Almost like a dancer..._


	4. Ch. 4: Fated to Meet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velvet and co. wander through sewers, wondering about the possibility of Eleanor showing up.

“Um...do you really think that we’ll see that exorcist again?” Laphicet asked. The crew had been soldiering through the sewers for a while and had finally encountered a strip in the hallway with no daemons lurking about.

“Oh ho ho. Is our baby boy interested?” Magilou chirped.

“Magilou!” Velvet warned, raising a fist.

Laphicet blushed a deep red. “I mean she is pretty...But that’s not what I meant!” He then looked up at the rest of the group, his hands balled up in fists. “She’s a praetor right? That means she could call in backup for the priest!”

“Only if she deduces our target first,” Velvet stated coldly.

“Oh? You don’t believe in your favorite crybaby exorcist, Velvet?” Magilou shot back.

“Believe? I don’t know her, Magilou. There is nothing to believe in.” Velvet walked a few more steps before stopping. Her eyes narrowed at the witch. “And what do you mean by favorite anyway?”

“Just that last time we discussed this crybaby, I distinctly recall someone promising to kill her if she got in their way.”

Laphicet’s eyes widened. Eizen gently pushed him from behind to keep the group moving forward.

Velvet shrugged and resumed walking. “Burning the storage house during the day was already a risky move. Killing her in a public area would have just brought more unnecessary attention upon us.”

Magilou hummed a little bit, mulling over Velvet’s justification. “I guess that’s true. But, what if that exorcist woman is there this time? Which she will be of course, due to a fortune told by yours truly,” Magilou shifted her eyes towards Velvet, a smirk creeping up on her lips. “Will you kill her then?”

“If she stops us from accomplishing our mission, of course I will. I will devour anyone who gets in the way of me killing Artorius.”


	5. Ch. 5: An Utter Defeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleanor completely loses to Velvet in battle but is left with her life and body intact.

“Why?”

Velvet turned her head to see Eizen lumbering towards her. After putting Laphicet to bed, Velvet left the bar to get some fresh air. Once Eizen reached her position, he leaned back on the wall, keeping his hands in his pockets. She raised an eyebrow in question but remained silent.

“Why didn’t you kill her? For all that talk earlier, it surprised me that you left her fairly unharmed.” His eyes narrowed in Velvet’s direction. “Are you sure you’ve thrown your scabbard away?”

Velvet closed her eyes. She had a feeling that this conversation was coming, though she had thought it would have been Magilou to bring it up.

“She had no malakhim. She wasn’t a threat.”

“She’s a praetor. And she’s alive. For now, she has no malakhim.” Eizen crossed him arms over his chest. “But what’s to say of next time? The Abbey has plenty of malakhim to go around.”

At this statement, he scowled before continuing, “And with this second battle, she has a better idea of our group’s strengths and weaknesses. When we charge in to kill Artorius, the Abbey will be better prepared to face us due to your compassion.”

“Well it’s already happened and we’ll just have to deal with it. Are you afraid?”

“Not at all. I’m just trying to understand who I’m working with.” Eizen stood up. “If you do anything like that when we ambush the throne, though, it might be one of us who gets killed instead.”

“You have nothing to worry about then. With Artorius so close, no one can stop me.”

“I hope so,” Eizen murmured as he returned to the bar.

Velvet opened her eyes again, viewing the cloud-covered sky.

When she first left the bar, she had been puzzled, too, on why she couldn’t bring herself to kill or even maim the crybaby exorcist. Was it because she was a girl? Or not even because of that, was it because she reminded her of Niko?

After much thought, though, Velvet had come to one conclusion.

_It was because she’s the stupid type that wants to save everyone she can, no matter how good or bad they are._

And even Velvet, the monster, the therion, couldn’t bring herself to take that away.

Heading back to the bar, Velvet hoped that the foolish exorcist would stay at home or wherever she stayed when it came time to face Artorius.

Because if Eizen was right, and she did show up again, Velvet truly had no choice but to kill her.

~~~~~~~

 “Why?!”

Eleanor’s back slammed into the wall behind her. The shock reverberated throughout her body, her sight fading slightly before refocusing again. A furious Teresa stood in front of Eleanor, her hands digging into Eleanor’s collar.

“Why are you unharmed?!”

Eleanor’s eyes filled with confusion. She opened her mouth to speak, but Teresa had none of it.

“My Oscar, my precious Oscar. After meeting that devil, he lost everything. His eye, his position, his family’s respect.” Teresa pulled down on Eleanor’s collar and let go, leaving Eleanor to collapse clumsily onto the cold palace floor. “Do you know how many burns he has on his body?!”

Eleanor slowly placed her hands on the floor to raise herself up. Teresa began pacing around her. Like a lioness getting ready for the kill.

“And you! You, who promised to defeat that wretched daemon, not only let her escape once, but twice!” Teresa’s eyes filled with rage. “And now you’re here, malakhim-less but unscathed. Why?!” Her voice went cold. “Are you working with her?”

Eventually, Eleanor was able to stand again. She remained in a submissive position, though, and kept her eyes averted from Teresa’s. “No,” she murmured.

“Then tell me why she spared you!”

Eleanor, still keeping her head down, closed her eyes. So many questions being asked recently. _Who are those people? What do they want? Wh_ _at was that beast trapped_ _under the villa?_ _Why did the Abbey trap it?_

_Why was she still alive?_

So many questions, but all with the same answer. Eleanor raised her head this time to look at Teresa in the eye.

“I don’t know,” she calmly stated. “But it doesn’t matter. I will use this opportunity to better myself. Once I get more malakhim, I will lo-”

“Once you get more malakhim?! What makes you think they’ll do that after your failures?” Teresa interrupted. “No, you’re done! Once Lord Melchior hears of this, he’ll-”

“Teresa!” A third voice rang out. Oscar, panting, leaned against the door.

“Oscar!” Teresa’s anger dissipated in an instant.

“Teresa!” Oscar called out one more time. He nodded in Eleanor’s direction. “Eleanor. Come! We have no time to waste. That daemon crew has stormed the Empyrean’s throne!”

At the sound of her target, Teresa’s face froze and then darkened. “Lead the way, Oscar.”

“Of course. Lord Melchior is waiting for us at the palace doors.” The two siblings then set off for the front entrance.

Eleanor hesitated for a moment before sprinting after the other two praetors.

_This might be risky, but I have to do this. I need to know the truth. I need answers._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus, begins the trilogy of Eleanor’s poorly made decisions...Why, Eleanor, why?


	6. Ch. 6: Wandering through the Earthpulse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Velvet is searching for an exit, Laphicet in hand, Eleanor navigates the earthpulse alone.

Maybe chasing a bunch of lethal criminals into an unknown portal with no resources or backup wasn’t such a smart idea after all. Eleanor could hear Lord Artorius lecturing already.

“ _Always assess your strengths and weaknesses before approaching the enemy. Do not let your desires cloud your judgment.”_

Eleanor sighed. Ruminating over her teacher’s lessons wasn’t going to solve anything. Now that she landed in this situation, she was going to have to adapt and get herself out of it. She wasn’t too optimistic about her chances, though, with five other enemies roaming about.

As she traversed through the many paths and levels of the barren earthpulse, Eleanor wondered what drove her to pursue the group. Lord Artorius had already proven that they posed no threat to him or the Abbey, so there was no need for Eleanor to follow and capture them.

“Not that I can in my current state anyhow _,” s_ he mumbled.

But it wasn’t just about bringing the miscreants to justice, Eleanor knew. There was another reason as well, on why she foolishly ran after them. She frowned at the thought.

_I wanted to make sure that that daemon was okay._

She shouldn’t be wishing for that. She should be praying that the wounds inflicted from Lord Artorius and Innominat were enough to eliminate the daemon. But for the boy’s – the malak’s? – sake, Eleanor couldn’t help but hope that the daemon was alive. She remembered the tears welling up in the malak’s eyes and his rebellious cries against his former mistress.

_I’ve never seen a malak express such strong emotion before._

_..._

_Nor have I seen a daemon act so human._

What Eleanor saw at the throne had chilled her. Her impression with daemons was that they were always raging, mindless creatures, only determined to bring death and destruction upon the world. She had thought the same of the escaped outlaw, too, aside from the fact that this daemon was much more intelligent than the usual fare.

Yet, that daemon had radiated such pure hatred and desperation in her fight against Lord Artorius. And when she was almost finished, the daemon’s broken state haunted Eleanor’s thoughts.

Eleanor began to walk faster. Her eyes hardened.

“Thinking like this is dangerous. I must not let myself be fooled. Daemons and malakhim are different from us.”

_They are not human._

Suddenly, Eleanor came to a stop. She could faintly hear voices coming from the right. Surreptitiously, she crept from one pillar of rock to another before the scene came in full view.

The sight paralyzed Eleanor.

_No!_

She stopped herself from sprinting to the malak’s aid. There was still the pirate and the daemon, in full health she noticed, to consider.

_Remember the first maxim. Plans must be solid, and reactions flexible. I will not fail this time, Lord Artorius._


	7. Ch. 7: The Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleanor debates on waiting for Velvet outside of the Yvolg Ruins. Velvet runs.

She should run away.

Logically, that was the best course of action, Eleanor thought to herself. After the pact with the fatigued malak, the resulting bond had blinded and knocked Eleanor out.

To wake up to this. An endless meadow and no enemies in sight.

With Laphicet recaptured, Eleanor should run, gather her bearings, and return to the Abbey at once.

That’s what she should do.

Eleanor didn’t move.

_I vowed to challenge her._

At that time, Eleanor had evaluated that the best chances of her escaping alive was to gain the daemon’s trust and save the malak. Standing on opposing sides, however, severely reduced the amount of actions she could take without the daemon ripping her head off.

After much consideration, Eleanor had decided that her only option was to put her pride and life on the line.

And now she was here, still sitting in an empty field.

_Why can’t I do this? Why can’t I run?_

Although the daemon had agreed to a one-on-one duel, there was no reason for her to follow through with it. And even if she did, Eleanor had bound herself to fight the daemon personally, without the use of her malak artes. The daemon had no such restrictions.

If Eleanor waited here any longer, she would be setting herself up for a potentially disastrous fall.

She stood up, brushed the dirt off her outfit, and turned to face the entrance of the ruins.

_But I have to go through with this._

Closing her eyes, Eleanor recalled a warm, loving voice and a hand brushing back her hair.

“ _Remember my dearest what I’ve taught you.”_

“ _I’m sorry, Mother.”_

“ _We want to be good people, right? And as good people, what do we not do?”_

“ _Don’t lie, don’t cheat, and...”_

“ _And?”_

“ _And never ever break a promise!”_

~~~~~~~

_Damnit, where is she?!_

It felt like they had been running through the ruins for ages, searching for the exit and the exorcist. Velvet’s patience was wearing dangerously thin.

Time was running out. The longer they remained within these ruins, the more time the exorcist had to get away.

Or would she keep her word? Back in the earthpulse, the exorcist’s eyes had been filled with such conviction that Velvet believed her then. Not that she had much of a choice, though, with Laphicet’s poor condition.

Out here, Velvet wasn’t so sure. It could have been a ploy, especially with the exorcist being such a strong believer of Artorius’s teachings.

Velvet’s left hand clenched into a fist and she glared at the endless path ahead of her.

_We have to find her! I won’t lose someone precious to me ever again. Even if I have to devour the whole world, I will save Laphicet!_


	8. Ch. 8: A Duel of Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velvet's frustrated at the new addition in their party.

Velvet sighed in frustration. Even if she somewhat came to terms with the situation, she didn’t fully believe it just yet. How did things come to this? Exactly how was she going to kill Artorius with the enemy watching her every move? She scowled at the resting exorcist in front of her, still shuddering through some final symptoms.

“Can’t sleep?” Eizen sat down next to Velvet.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier that Laphicet needed a vessel?” Velvet gruffly asked.

Eizen remained silent for a moment before speaking. “When we first met, he was just a tool to you. I didn’t think it was worth mentioning. Even after Laphicet became himself, we were focused on killing Artorius.” He paused once more and spoke his next words slowly.

“If I told you that he needed a vessel before we ambushed the throne, would that have stopped you?”

Velvet’s eyes widened, realizing what Eizen meant. Hanging her head, she admitted, “No.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Velvet lifted her head again after a few more seconds, resuming her vigil of the exorcist. “But things are different now. Laphicet is not a tool.” She looked at Eizen. “Could you do a favor for me?”

“Depends.”

“If you ever see another suitable vessel for Laphicet in our journey, let me know.” Velvet nodded in the direction of the exorcist. “I’d like to replace her as soon as possible.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the party's all together.


	9. Ch. 9: Descending the Ravine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party boards the Van Eltia after Shigure's appearance.

Finally, they could rest. Though Eleanor wasn’t sure how comfortable of a rest it would be on a pirate ship.

At least they didn’t have to run, though, and Eleanor could relax a little from the daemon’s vigilant eyes.

Holding her hands together, she leaned on the balcony and surveyed the vast sea.

On this ship, there was nowhere to run to, but at the same time there were no exorcists chasing after them.

“ _Shouldn’t you be worrying about your own skin? The entire Abbey knows by now that you’re a traitor.”_ Morgrim’s troubling statement echoed in her mind. Her hands dug into her skin.

_But that’s not true! I… I’m going to complete this mission for Lord Artorius. No matter what. Even if I… even if I have to…_ Eleanor shut her eyes, her mind consumed with her former comrades’ accusing cries.

“Eleanor?” A boyish voice jolted Eleanor from her thoughts. She turned to see Laphicet glancing worriedly at her. “Are you okay?”

Realizing how she might appear to the young malak, Eleanor released her hands and nodded. “It’s alright. I’m fine, Laphicet.” She attempted a reassuring smile.

The malak looked unconvinced. “Is this about what Morgrim said earlier?” Eleanor’s eyes widened. The boy was more perceptive than she thought.

After a beat, Laphicet continued, “Well, even if you are a traitor to the Abbey now, I think you’re still a good person, Eleanor.”

“H-How can you say that?”

“It’s just a feeling I get when I hang out with you.” The malak walked over to the ship railing and hung his arms over. “I… I still don’t fully trust you yet. But I can tell that you’re good from how you acted with those exorcists and with the rest of us.”

Laphicet turned his head and beamed at her. “Don’t lose faith in yourself, Eleanor!”

Eleanor could only stare back at him, perplexed.

_This malak really is something._

She then returned Laphicet’s smile with a smile of her own, sincere this time.

_I hope that when I return him to the Abbey, they’ll let his personality reign free._

“Thank you, Laphicet.”

~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, a certain therion was watching over the friendly pair on the quarter deck of the Van Eltia.

_Really, Laphicet? After all those warnings I gave you NOT to get too close to her._

Velvet’s face soured.

To be fair, Eleanor hadn’t done anything too out of the ordinary so far. Actually, she had been rather helpful with obtaining information from the runaway bandit and protecting Laphicet from an outraged Rokurou. And with Eleanor around, at least Laphicet wasn’t constantly surrounded by bad influences in the form of Magilou, Bienfu, and the rest of Aifread’s crew.

It didn’t change the fact, though, that Eleanor was working with the Abbey.

“Admiring your favorite exorcist again?” Rokurou joked before taking a huge swig out of his sake bottle. Leaning back next to Velvet, he placed his elbows on the ship railing to support himself.

Velvet buried her head in her hands. “Not just Magilou… you too, Rokurou?”

“But it's true. You’re always keeping an eye on her.” Rokurou grinned. “Besides, isn’t she everyone’s favorite exorcist now?”

Velvet didn’t bother replying. Rokurou then turned around, joining Velvet in observing the duo below. “She’s a great addition, though, you have to admit. Not only is she a fantastic fighter up close, her malak artes make for great cover, too. Aaand she’s a decent healer which doesn't hurt.”

Of course, Rokurou would only think of Eleanor in terms of fighting. Velvet scoffed, “Don’t get too attached.”

Rokurou chuckled. He stood up and cracked his neck, getting ready to leave. “Same goes for you, Velvet!” He smirked at her before heading over to Kurogane.

Velvet glared at his retreating back. “That’s not going to happen,” she muttered to herself.

Also, the next time Rokurou or Magilou mention her “favorite” exorcist again?

She’s eating them. For sure.

~~~~~~~

Extra 9.1:

“What do you think you’re doing?! / Touch him and I’ll kill you.”

Oh? Magilou viewed the scene with slight interest. This was the second time this week where both Velvet and Eleanor acted together in sync to protect Laphicet (with the first time being their united rejection of Bienfu and his unhelpful books).

_What a frightening pair of mama wolves. Eh, I guess it’s a good thing then that they’re enemies._

She glanced over to Laphicet and smiled wryly.

_You’ve got yourself a good set of parents, kiddo. With the fierce but protective Velvet and the goody two-shoes Eleanor, you’re going to become quite the upstanding man, aren’t you?_

Magilou’s smile fell. A hazy memory from long ago quietly resurfaced before fading again. Of a gentle man stretching his hand out to a terrified girl.

_Not that I particularly care about your future anyway._


	10. Ch. 9.2: Training Session

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rokurou is not the only one Velvet watches train.

“One! Two! … Three!”

With each yell, Eleanor easily shifted from one form to another, spear flowing in tandem. The first few were fairly simple stances, alternating between piercing and blocking. As the training session went on, the forms evolved into more complex maneuvers and positions, finally ending in a crescendo of flashy thrusts and spins.

Once the first half of the session finished, Eleanor turned to face her sole audience.

“Do you have to watch this everyday? Nothing’s going to change anytime soon.”

Velvet lazily lifted her head up, her eyes flickering to Eleanor’s resentful expression.

“Someone has to keep an eye on you and I don’t want Laphicet awake at this inhuman hour,” she responded.

“Ugh, you really plan on leaving me no privacy,” Eleanor grumbled under her breath. She spoke up again, “Don’t you get tired watching the same thing every morning?”

“It doesn’t bore me if that’s what you think. Though I don’t see why you feel the need to train. We’ve been encountering dozens of monsters every day if you wanted practice.”

“It’s because we’ve been encountering dozens of monsters every day that I train,” Eleanor retorted. “… And it’s one of the only things giving me a sense of normalcy around here,” she said again in a much softer voice, her hands clutching her spear.

Velvet’s interest piqued at the statement.

“Back when I was with the Abbey, I would practice every day at this hour to help me clear my head. It’s become a habit, no matter where I go now.” Eleanor scowled at Velvet. “Though it is significantly more difficult to focus with you around, daemon.”

The jibe did nothing to affect Velvet’s stoic expression.

“Sorry, but your habit’s going to need to adapt. I don’t plan on going anywhere.”

Eleanor considered protesting again, but concluded that it wasn’t worth the effort. Reverting to her original position, she dug her boots into the grass, preparing for the next set of exercises.

And as Eleanor practiced, Velvet’s eyes never left, ingraining every movement of the exorcist into her memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra got too long, so threw it in another chapter. Chaptering is going to be messed up from now and probably going to get worse.


	11. Ch. 10: Caught the Corsair’s Scourge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The corsair's scourge infects the Van Eltia.

“And this is where we split. Head back to the ship with Rokurou, Eleanor,” Velvet commanded. The party was currently hanging outside the Reneed entrance. “The rest of us will go search the forest for sale’tomah.”

“I’m sorry, but please let me stay with you.” Eleanor stood rooted to the ground.

Velvet threw the exorcist a disgruntled look.

“That wasn’t a request.” She walked over and placed herself directly in front of Eleanor. “What would happen to Laphicet if you got yourself sick and then injured in the middle of the forest?”

“Yeah, Eleanor. For everyone’s safety, it’s better if you stay on the ship,” Rokurou chimed in. “Shall we go?” He offered his hand.

Eleanor remained undeterred from her position. “Thank you for your concern. But I can’t go back to the ship.” Maintaining Velvet’s gaze, she continued, “Please reconsider. As of now, I don’t feel any symptoms. I can still fight and be of use to the group.”

Velvet frowned, hers lip drawn back in a taut line.

“Why are you so adamant on joining? All we’re doing is collecting sale’tomah.”

“You’ve heard the villagers here as well. There is a daemon out th-”

“Nothing we can’t handle.”

“You don’t know that. These people don’t even know what the daemon looks like!”

“If it comes to that, then we’ll deal with it accordingly. Eleanor, head back to th-”

“Pleas-”

“Why?!” Velvet practically yelled at Eleanor, startling the rest of the group. Laphicet scurried and attempted to stand between the two women, throwing worried glances at both of them. Noticing the tension in the air, Velvet took a step back and asked again in a much more controlled tone, “Why are you so keen on coming with us?”

“I...”

Eleanor raised a hand to her chest. Breaking eye contact with Velvet, her eyes drifted to a lone flower on the ground.

~~~~~~~

“ _Did you hear? Amr was struck by daemons.”_

“ _No! That’s too soon. Wasn’t Hafgan only struck a few days ago? What is going to happen to us?”_

_A young Eleanor quietly listened to the chatter outside the window._

“ _Children!”_

_All eyes rose to meet the head monk._

“ _Come! Let us gather. Another tragedy has occurred at Amr. Let us send our thoughts and prayers to those families.”_

_At the command, all the children rose from their positions and headed to the pews, each child settling into a praying position. After a few moments, Eleanor followed suit._

“ _Is this all I can do?” she mildly wondered. “Just pray and hope for the best? Is this the right way to ‘be strong’, Mother?”_

_There was no response._

_~~~~~~~_

For a while, there was complete silence. Even more frustrated than she was previously, Velvet was ready to move on when Eleanor finally spoke up.

“When I became an exorcist, I swore to myself that I wouldn’t just sit there and pray for everyone’s safe return. I swore to myself that if I am able to, I would go out there and try to help anyone I can.”

Eleanor looked up again, her eyes hardened with resolve. “I’m done with only giving my thoughts and prayers. If I can still fight and make a difference, then I will. And right now, there are men on that ship and people in that village that need more help than me.” Focused solely on Velvet, she requested one last time.

“Please take me with you.”

Velvet kept her gaze on Eleanor, her eyebrows furrowing. Sighing, she turned to the direction of the forest, waving a hand over her shoulder.

“Fine. But stay in the back with Magilou and Laphicet. I don’t want you fainting and getting stabbed by a random beast.” Velvet started walking, leaving the others behind.

Eleanor’s eyes widened. Suddenly, she felt a weight push her down.

“Wow, Eleanor. You got Velvet to back down! That’s amazing!” Rokurou roared with laughter, his arm draped over Eleanor’s shoulders. “I didn’t think there was anyone more stubborn than our fearsome leader.”

“Heh, you learn something new everyday.” Eizen shrugged, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

“Yeah!” Laphicet jogged a bit in front of Eleanor before turning to face her. “I’m glad you’re coming with us, Eleanor. It might sound a bit weird but... I think I feel safer when I can see you then when I can’t.”

Eleanor, overwhelmed with everything going on, didn't respond, letting herself be dragged by Rokurou and the others.

~~~~~~~

Extra 1:

“HEY! WAIT UPPP!” Magilou’s voice rang out through the fens.

“What now?!” Velvet stopped, shutting her eyes.

“Since our honorable exorcist is so eager to join the plant hunt, I was thinking that maybeeeee... I could pop out and take her place? A talented witch such as me requires plenty of time for beauty sleep. Plus, bogs and bugs aren’t really my thing.”

“Huh. I thought that all witches were into swamps and insects. Don’t you need it for your concoctions or something?”

“Not true! Sure, you might need some centipede legs from time to time. But most times, normal ingredients will do just fine! As for myself, I much prefer a nice sunny beach to a gross muggy bog.”

“It doesn’t matter what you prefer. You’re still coming with us.”

“Whyyyy?” Magilou whined. “You have Eleanor already. What if I fall sick?”

“Like I said earlier, magick yourself better. Besides, I need you to be Eleanor’s bodyguard.”

“Whattt? Then, who will be my bodyguard?! We’re both sick, you know?”

“You have Bienfu, don’t you?” Velvet then resumed her previous pace, terminating the conversation.

“Augh, what a cruel world we live in,” Magilou hung her head and accepted her fate.

~~~~~~~

Extra 2:

“ _Then I have a request. How ‘bout you start helping by marrying this fool son of mine?”_

_\--_

“Eleanor.”

“Hm?” Eleanor turned to face Velvet.

“If you meet anyone that you like, let me know. We can arrange a quick marriage for you.”

“Ok, I unde-EH? What?!”

“Like I said, just let me know if you’re interested in anyone. There are a lot of churches around nowadays so doing the vows shouldn’t be too difficult. And if you’re worried about their safety, we can just leave them on the Van El-”

“W-Why are you so concerned about my love life? I’m not looking for anyone anytime soon, thank you very much!” And with that said, a red-faced Eleanor sped away from the scene. Much faster than she normally does in battle, Velvet noted.

“What was that all about?” Rokurou jogged up next to Velvet. “It looked interesting.”

Velvet sighed. “I just wanted her to pick someone to be with so that we wouldn’t spend half our time on land discouraging her suitors. It’s inefficient.”

Rokurou howled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thinking about this was interesting and difficult. When they catch the scourge, Rokurou basically offers for Eleanor to remain on the ship, while Magilou is forced to go. But somehow, Eleanor goes along for the trip anyway, endangering Laphicet and all. How?


	12. Ch. 11: The Tribulations of Sale-tomah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleanor wakes up after passing out from the sale-tomah.

Eleanor woke up, feeling a little light-headed. Surveying her surroundings, she realized that she was back in her room on the Van Eltia, her exorcist jacket settled on the chair next to her bed.

The horrid taste of the sale-tomah still resided on her tongue. Her face contorted in disgust.

_Ugh, I can’t believe the cure to corsair’s scourge just had to be the worst plant in the world. Why did this have to happen again?_

“Ah, you’re awake now.” Eleanor saw Velvet loitering at her door. Velvet then took a few steps towards the bed and set a mug on the table. “Here. Some tea.”

Eleanor picked the mug up and stared at the liquid blankly. After a few more seconds of Eleanor observing the tea, Velvet snapped.

“It’s not poisonous. Just drink it already. If I wanted you dead, it wouldn’t be through poison.”

Eleanor startled. “I-It’s not that. I...” Seeing Velvet’s glare, Eleanor shut up and drank her tea.

_It's sweet._

“This is good,” Eleanor put the mug down on her lap. “What type of tea is this?”

“It’s apple tea, mixed with some cinnamon and honey...” Velvet's eyes glazed over, lost in thought. Eleanor tilted her head, surprised. This pensive side of Velvet wasn't one she was used to seeing.

“This tea is special to you, isn’t it?”

“Not really... Laph-My younger brother used to get sick often when we were growing up. The tea helps to wash away the bitter aftertaste of the medicine. That’s all.”

_Her brother..._  Laphicet had mentioned Velvet’s brother previously, but this was the first time Eleanor heard it from Velvet herself. Gazing at Velvet, Eleanor couldn’t help but wonder.

_What type of life did you lead before becoming a daemon, Vel-_

_..._

“Are you ready? Laphicet and the others are already at the port.” Velvet had resumed her usual aloof demeanor, almost as if the previous moment had never occurred.

“Yeah. Let me grab my jacket and check on a few items. I’ll meet you there.” Eleanor rose from the bed and started gathering her things. Velvet nodded and withdrew from the room.

Once Eleanor finished collecting the items she needed, she snatched the jacket off her chair. She didn’t put it on immediately, though. Instead, she focused on the Abbey insignia embroidered on the back, feeling the ribbon between her fingers.

“I can't be wasting time on these thoughts. Lord Melchior is waiting for us at Lothringen. That will be my chance to pass along Laphicet.”

She put the jacket on.

_Time to complete the mission._

~~~~~~~

Extra:

The horrid taste of the sale’tomah, albeit somewhat reduced, still resided on her tongue.

_Ughhhh._

 


	13. Ch. 12: Back to Old Training Grounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party heads to Lothringen.

“Ahh, so much walking today. From the port to the village to the fens to the forest, back from the forest to the fens to the village to the port, and then onwards from the port to the village to the fens a third time and here we are! Still walking!” Magilou groaned. “When can a gal get some rest?”

“You would have more energy to walk if you kept that mouth shut,” Velvet commented.

“And leave you all wanting for my enchanting voice? No sirree!” When Velvet didn’t respond, Magilou decided to switch targets for the day. “How about we hear a story then? Eleanor, why don’t you regale us with a tale?”

Eleanor, still contemplating on everything from Aifread’s weapon to Zaveid to Laphicet’s handoff to Melchior, paid no mind to Magilou. Until she almost walked into the deviously grinning Magilou herself.

“Wha-” Eleanor took a step back.

Magilou’s grin didn’t drop. Instead, she took deliberate steps, invading Eleanor’s personal space and sounding out the words, “Tell. Us. A. Tale!”

“Eh? What tale?”

“A tale of your wonderful youth at All-Logic No-Emotions Abbey School of course! Surely, you have a story or two of your rule-breaking days. Drugs, booze, flings! Tell us all about it!”

“R-rule-breaking? I did nothing of that sort!” Eleanor looked at Magilou sternly, raising a pointed hand in the air. “As the Abbey teaches, it is unproductive to consume any substance that can compromise your mental or physical state. Relationships are also highly discouraged to keep the students focused on the value of the many over the individual. I followed those rules strictly.”

“Perfect honor roll student through and through,” Velvet rolled her eyes.

“Boooring!” Magilou complained and stuck her tongue out. But she wasn’t going to give up just yet. There was still a ways to the tower, so she was going to need a bit more entertainment. “But if there weren’t any flings, there were at least crushes, yes? I wonder... what type of person does our noble exorcist like?”

“! T-That’s none of your business!”

“Oho, so there was someone. Let me guess... Maybe someone tall, dark...” Magilou carefully observed the shade of Eleanor’s blush to see where to prod. “And maybe a little cynical, too. Buuuut they always come through when you need them. Like a white knight in brooding armor perhaps?” At this point, Eleanor’s face had become completely crimson. Laphicet tugged at Eleanor’s sleeve, asking if she was still feeling woozy from the corsair’s scourge.

_Bingo._

“Man, what is with good girls liking bad boys with a sense of justice? Was it because you were so boring in school that you wished for a rebel to sweep you off your feet? Or did you want to uncover the mystery behind the mask?”

“No! You’re wrong! T-That’s not-” Eleanor stopped her sentence. “Never mind, we’re done discussing this. We should focus on preparing ourselves for Lothingren.” She hurried to the front of party, passing Velvet as the lead.

Velvet took note of the exorcist crossing her but didn’t pay much mind.

_Bad boys with a sense of justice, huh? Well, that’s not me. The only thing I have is a taste for revenge._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of an extra chapter, really. I thought about delving into what Eleanor's life at Lothringen was like, but that seems too dangerous. 
> 
> Also, the Lothringen chapter is right next to Kamoana which doesn't help.
> 
> By the way, Magilou is not referring to Velvet, but to the hero of another tale she read called Brave Vesperia. White knights do seem to have a bad habit of falling for people they shouldn't.


	14. Ch. 13: Ripening Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velvet claims that she doesn't care for Eleanor.

“Nyeheheh, no trouble expressing THOSE feelings, I see!” Magilou snickered. Velvet frowned as she watched the witch skip off to her next victim.

“Um, Velvet?” Velvet turned to face Laphicet again. He seemed concerned.

“Hmm?”

“Why do you have trouble expressing your feelings to Eleanor? If it’s not because you’re ripened, then...” Laphicet tilted his head, unsure of how to proceed.

“I told you before. She’s the enemy. She’s an exorcist who wants to take you away from us.”

“I know that. But...” Laphicet was still at a loss for words. Fidgeting with the ends of his uniform, the malak voiced his next few statements carefully. “But you care about her. I think she deserves to know that. Maybe then she’ll start to understand you and change her mind. Eleanor... Eleanor is a better person than you think she is.” He stopped his fidgeting to gauge Velvet’s reaction.

Velvet didn't say anything, rolling Laphicet's words in her head. She ambled to the edge of the ship, her hands digging into the railing.

“‘Know your foes, and strike where they’re weak.’ Artorius’s basis for all combat. Something Eleanor follows as well.”

“So you’re saying your feelings for her make you weak?”

“Don’t put it like that. I’m just saying that I don’t want to give the enemy any advantage over me. And I don’t care for her the way you think I do. I only want to ensure our vessel remains intact both mentally and physically.”

_Why is Laphicet so concerned about this anyway? Eleanor..._

Images of the exorcist floated through Velvet’s mind. Of Eleanor training tirelessly at the break of dawn, twirling her spear from one form to another. Of Eleanor panicking and rushing to Laphicet’s side after battle, examining him for any possible injuries. Of Eleanor lecturing the rest of Aifread’s crew on the values of a nutritious meal and proper rest.

Of Eleanor and her blazing emerald eyes when she vowed to challenge Velvet.

At the constant thought of the exorcist, Velvet idly wondered where said exorcist was. Scanning the ship, Velvet located Eleanor conversing to Rokurou on the second floor, a grimace gracing the exorcist’s face.

All Velvet could see then, though, was Artorius placing a firm hand on Eleanor’s shoulder, murmuring a mission to return Laphicet back to the Abbey. Velvet’s eyes darkened.

_Eleanor will only betray us in the end._


	15. Ch. 14: Increased Vigilance and Lost Privacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velvet follows through on her promise to watch Eleanor during her baths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, when the game prompts that either Velvet or Magilou has to watch Eleanor during her baths... yeah.
> 
> WARNING FOR NUDITY. 
> 
> (probably the only warning ever)

Velvet stretched, relieving the stiffness from the trip. It had been another long day, but at least they had an opportunity to learn more about Innominat. Laphicet seemed excited to have a new teacher as well. The two of them had holed up in one of the other inn rooms, attempting to decipher the ancient tome.

And now that they were on land, Velvet could enjoy a nice bath at last.

_Speaking about baths, I should get Eleanor. I doubt that she’ll be comfortable alone with Magilou._

Velvet headed over to Eleanor’s room. She raised a hand, ready to knock on the door, but put it down again.

_If I do this, would I be pushing her too far?_

Back in Yseult, Teresa’s and Oscar’s combined appearance had shocked them, raising questions on why they were there and if it was related in any way towards their own journey. Magilou’s probing of Eleanor only heightened Velvet’s doubts.

But Laphicet had believed Eleanor. Had stepped in front of her and defended Eleanor to the rest of the group.

And a foolish part of Velvet had wanted to believe in Eleanor, too. That Eleanor hadn’t been corresponding with the Abbey and ratting out their location.

Yet, Artorius’s voice that night in the mountains still rang clear.

“ _Do whatever it takes to get the job done, Eleanor. You act under my full authorization.”_

Velvet knocked on the door.

The door opened, revealing Eleanor, her eyes swollen and puffy.

_Crying again?_

“What do you want, daemon?”

“It’s bath time, Eleanor.”

Eleanor stepped back immediately, bewildered.

“Y-you can’t be serious. I don’t communicate with the Abbey in the bath!”

“Then prove it. Let’s go,” Velvet said before capturing Eleanor’s wrist and tugging her to the washroom. Once the door was shut, Velvet leaned back on it, effectively blocking any exit. “Now strip.”

Eleanor just stood there, stunned like a prickleboar caught at the end of her blade.

Velvet sighed. “Come on, we haven’t got all day to do this.” She took her coat off. “I’ll go first then.” Eleanor hastily looked away, a shade of pink coloring her cheeks.

When Velvet was done undressing, Eleanor had made no attempt to remove her clothing. Velvet crossed her arms across her chest, tapping her right index finger on her left arm.

Realizing finally that there was no escape from this situation, Eleanor sulkily complied. She turned around so that her back was facing Velvet and started removing her hair pins.

As Eleanor undressed herself, Velvet kept a firm gaze on Eleanor’s body for any artes the Abbey might have left behind. On a first scan, there were no major artes that she was able to discern, but there were plenty of other things to see. Various scars and scratches had dotted Eleanor’s body, probably from previous encounters with daemons and the like.

Also, there was muscle. Plenty of well-defined, lithe, muscle.

Velvet blushed, glad that Eleanor had her back to her. She knew that the exorcist had to be fit in order to swing that hefty spear of hers around, but she hadn’t realized just how fit that meant. Eleanor had always worn too many layers for anyone to judge her body properly.

Coming back to her senses, Velvet noticed that Eleanor had just about taken all her clothes off, her arms now crossed in front of her, covering her chest.

“Before you get in the bath, I’ll need you to turn around for me.” The exorcist froze again.

“R-really? Is-Isn’t this enough? Taking my clothes off, taking a bath together. Isn’t that enough? Can’t you leave me with any sense of privacy?” Eleanor pleaded.

“I need to make sure the Abbey hasn’t put any artes on you that can expose us.”

“The Abbey doesn’t have that type of surveillance to place on all their exorcists.”

“Maybe not all their exorcists. Maybe only the high-level exorcists. Like a praetor.”

Eleanor shut her eyes and bit her lip. Velvet remained unmoving.

Slowly, the exorcist turned back to face Velvet, her arms falling to reveal the rest of her body. Velvet’s eyes widened, understanding what the exorcist meant to hide.

Not an arte, but a scar, a large one that ran through all of Eleanor’s upper body. Originating from her right shoulder, the scar crossed in between her breasts and across her stomach, concluding above the left side of her waist.

All the previous scars that Velvet had seen earlier on Eleanor’s back paled in comparison.

“There you have it. No artes at all,” Eleanor muttered, defeated. She entered the steaming, hot bath and began washing herself. After a moment, Velvet dropped in behind Eleanor, their backs to each other.

“How did it happen?”

“What do you think? Daemons, of course.” Eleanor took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing, “A group of them ravaged my village ten years ago. I received this when I tried to run away from their leader.”

_Her village.That should be around here right?_

From the way Eleanor had spoke to Laphicet about the various Southgand customs earlier, Velvet had figured that she was from the region.

“Is your village still her-”

“No, it’s gone. Everything and everyone from the village is gone.” Eleanor paused. “Only I’m left now.”

_So her home was destroyed, too. Like Aball..._

Eleanor rose from the bath and swiftly dressed herself again. She addressed Velvet one last time.

“Don’t pity me daemon. I came to terms with it long ago. Now, I use it as a reminder on why I fight. To save others from that feeling of loss.” Eleanor opened her mouth again as if to say something more but closed it. Averting Velvet’s eyes, she concluded, “That’s all.”

Just as Eleanor was about to leave, Velvet called out to her, “Eleanor.” The exorcist halted and looked back. Velvet had risen up from the bath, water droplets streaming down her body. For a few moments, neither said anything until Velvet spoke up again.

“I see that you have nothing to hide. This was probably just another one of Magilou’s tricks to get some amusement.” Velvet started dressing herself. “Something like this... won’t happen again. I’ll stand outside the door next time.”

She could feel Eleanor’s curious eyes bore into her back. Then, Eleanor gave a curt nod and exited the washroom, leaving Velvet alone with her thoughts.


	16. Ch 14.1: Lifelong Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magilou watches the trio bond over pengyons.

While Velvet, Eleanor, and Laphicet were discussing pengyons, Magilou, Eizen and Rokurou hung around in the back.

“Aww, how cute. Nothing charms my nonexistent heart more than some positive family bonding,” Magilou mused.

“Hmm?” Rokurou perked up at Magilou’s statement and observed the scene more attentively this time, confused. “You mean the pengyons?”

_I couldn’t care less about the pengyons._

Magilou didn’t respond to Rokurou’s inquiry. Instead, she continued to witness the trio’s conversation and movements. Laphicet’s animated motions. Eleanor’s blush of embarrassment. Velvet’s hidden smirk as she teased Eleanor over her food choices.

She had tried to break that earlier, tossing doubts into the party’s trust in Eleanor. Magilou had been curious on what their reaction would be, especially Velvet’s. And back then, it almost seemed that Velvet was willing to go the next step.

But now? The doubts from earlier appeared to have dissipated completely.

The pengyon-viewing trio eventually concluded their session and returned to the other three, Laphicet still excited about the pengyons.

“Oh boy, someone’s enthusiastic today. What did you learn, kiddo?”

“That pengyons are mates for life! And, uhh...” Laphicet trailed off, blushing. “They’re very tasty.”

“Hmm, lifelong partners, huh? Is that something our ladies want, too?”

“Huh? / What?” Both Eleanor and Velvet were taken aback.

“It’s just a question. Answer it. Fulfill my curiosity.”

It was Eleanor who answered first.

“Of course, I would want that, to have one person you can count on who will always be there for you. Someone who will be by my side both through my highs and through my lows.”

“Oho. As expected from our honor roll student. And what about our murderous leader? Do you have a romantic side, too?”

A pained look flashed over Velvet’s face.

“You answered your own question, Magilou. There’s no room for romance for a murderous daemon like me.”


	17. Ch. 15: A Tentative Transition to Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velvet and Eleanor talk over what happened in Palamedes.

“Ah, what a shame that we have to run again so soon,” Magilou pouted. “I was totally looking forward to the beach. It would have been so fun, seeing everyone in their swimsuits.” She leered at Velvet who glared at her in turn.  
  
Rokurou chuckled. “It can’t be helped. A life of crime means a life on the run. We’ll just have to make the best of it.”  
  
“I just wish that making the best of it didn’t necessarily mean becoming a mermaid. At this rate, I’m going to forget what it’s like walking on land.”  
  
“That’s impossible. It only takes a week or less to get your land legs. In fact, three hundred years ago...” Eizen chimed in.  
  
“Oh no, there he goes. Totally not helping the situation,” Magilou muttered gloomily as Eizen delved into the history of land legs versus sea legs. Benwick and the rest of Aifread’s crew jumped in occasionally to support and criticize various parts of Eizen’s theory. Meanwhile, Laphicet and Kamoana both laughed, amused at everyone’s antics. Even Bienfu popped out for a little bit to attempt to cheer up his mistress.  
  
Except Eleanor wasn’t there, Velvet realized. Curious where the exorcist ran off too, Velvet silently withdrew from the rambunctious party.  
  
She found her mark at the stern of the ship, gazing wistfully at the shrinking islands, the sun setting behind them.  
  
“Everything okay?” Velvet inquired, alerting the exorcist to her presence.  
  
“Huh? Oh. Yes. I’m fine,” Eleanor replied. “Did I worry you, Velvet?”  
  
“No. But Laphicet and Kamoana will be worried if you’re not feeling well.”  
  
“You can let them know then that I am all right.”  
  
An awkward silence settled between the two. Velvet debated internally whether to stay or leave. Although Eleanor had reassured her verbally, her countenance still exuded a sense of melancholy.  
  
Velvet made her choice.  
  
“You call me by my name now,” Velvet stated, treading over to Eleanor’s side. Eleanor, surprised that Velvet was still here, took a moment before responding.  
  
“Y-Yeah. After everything that happened today, it’s only right that I call you by your name.” Eleanor fixated her eyes on her clasped hands, struggling with her words. “At Palamedes, I realized that... there’s more to you than your revenge for Artorius. There’s a nicer side to you, too. I mean, I always saw that with you and Laphicet. I just never expected you to... treat someone like me that way as well.”  
  
“Me? Nice?” Velvet raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Nicer,” Eleanor re-emphasized. “To be honest, I hadn’t expected you to save Kamoana back there.”  
  
Kamoana... Truthfully, Velvet had wanted to kill the child at that time. She wasn’t lying when she said the child would slow them down. Their goal was to defeat Artorius; they didn’t have the time to take care of the child. And Aifread’s crew didn’t look equipped to handle one either. If what Grimoirh said was true, it didn’t change the fact that the Abbey would still have one less therion if Kamoana was dead. How long would it take to locate and set up another therion?  
  
Yet, when she saw Eleanor’s tears and heard those cries, Velvet couldn’t do it. Once again, she couldn’t become the monster she thought she had become after those three years trapped in Titania.  
  
“Like I said earlier, I was only testing Grimoirh’s theory,” Velvet remarked.  
  
“Yeah, she did say something about therions being reborn, didn’t she?” Eleanor pondered. Then, she refocused her eyes on her hands once more, fiddling with them when she spoke again. “And uhh... about Oscar.”  
  
Oscar. The image of that condescending boy angered Velvet almost instantly. She clenched and unclenched her left hand, making sure to keep the daemon in her under control.  
  
“I don’t think what you did to him is right,” Eleanor continued to talk. Velvet frowned. “But I needed it at the time.”  
  
Velvet’s left hand stopped. She stared at Eleanor, slightly dumbstruck. Luckily, Eleanor hadn’t noticed.  
  
“Hmph. I wanted him to shut up. He was talking too much,” Velvet commented. Which was the truth. She really did want Oscar to shut up. To stop kicking Eleanor, already traumatized by the whole Kamoana experience, even further down her hole of confusion and despair.  
  
_Just when did I get so concerned over her tears?_ Velvet mused drily to herself.  
  
“Well, I’m glad you did.” Eleanor turned her head to face Velvet, loosening her hands. “Thank you, Velvet. For saving Kamoana and stopping Oscar.”  
  
And she smiled. A sincere smile directed solely for Velvet.  
  
Her heart did not skip a beat the therion told herself. She oriented her eyes towards the islands again, hoping that the incoming darkness was enough to mask her blush.  
  
It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen Eleanor smile before. They just were never meant for her specifically. Ever since joining their crew, the only one who was ever graced with Eleanor’s smiles was Laphicet. With everyone else, Eleanor generally maintained a warier disposition, particularly around Velvet and Rokurou.  
  
But now she was smiling at Velvet and it was beautiful.  
  
The islands had faded to tiny specks of dust now. Velvet decided to jump to another topic to get her mind off of that smile.  
  
“Do you miss it? Home?”  
  
At the new question, Eleanor looked back to the sea, but the islands were no more. Her smile faded, replaced by a calm expression.  
  
“No. I will always have a soft spot for Southgand and the memories I made there, but I don’t know if I can call it home anymore. Not since the daemon attack.”  
  
“Ah! I finally found you guys!” A third voice entered the conversation.  
  
The two women turned around to find Laphicet. He ran up to them, grabbing one of their hands in his own and tugging them towards the stairs.  
  
“Come on, let’s go! If you two don’t head down soon, Rokurou’s going to end up eating both of your meals! Jeez, what were you discussing that you forgot about dinner time?”


	18. Ch. 16: Departing From Yseult to Loegres

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleanor hasn't gotten over what happened in Haria.

“You know any constellations, Velvet?” Rokurou asked. The two of them were keeping watch for the ship, against Benwick’s wishes that Aifread’s crew can handle the watch themselves. Rokurou had insisted, though, after seeing the crew tire themselves manning the ship. Their stop at Yseult had been a short one, and the journey to Loegres was not as short.

Thus, Velvet and Rokurou had managed to convince the rowdy pirates to get some much needed rest while they dealt with any random octopi occurrences.

“Some of them. My brother enjoyed watching the stars.” Velvet scanned the sky for a few minutes. “Hmm, I don’t think I recognize any in this area. But there’s Brave Vesperia.” She pointed out the star in question.

“Eh, that doesn’t count. Even I know that Brave Vesperia is the brightest star in the sky.”

“Well sorry that I didn’t study stars while gro-”

“Velvet! Rokurou!” Kamoana’s voice cut in. The girl herself appeared shortly later, dashing over to the pair.

“What’s up, kid?” Rokurou greeted. Kamoana halted abruptly in front of them, tears streaming down her face. “W-Whoa. Don’t cry!” He pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to the girl, using his other hand to hold her hand. Kamoana gratefully accepted and wiped some of the tears away.

“I-It’s Eleanor. She’s having nightmares again. B-But...” A sob escaped from the child. “But this time she’s not waking up! No matter how hard I shake her!” The sobs became a full-out wail, alarming Rokurou.

“Ah, ah.” The samurai scratched his head, unsure of how to deal with the situation. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Velvet’s going to handle this. Everything’s going to be fine.” With this statement, Rokurou had composed himself once again, fist pumping in the air and a confident grin on his face.

Velvet, who had been listening from the side, suddenly swung her head in the samurai’s direction.

“What?!”

“You heard me. You’re going to take care of this.” Rokurou’s cheeky grin grew wider. “Unless you want me to enter Eleanor’s room.”

Realizing the situation, Velvet sighed. “Fine. Keep Kamoana entertained then.”

The samurai did a mock salute. “Yessir! Now Kamoana, why don’t you stay here with Uncle Rokurou? Let’s make up our own constellations.” He patted his lap for Kamoana to sit.

“Okay!” Kamoana’s poor mood seemingly disappeared, plopping herself into Rokurou’s lap.

Seeing that the two were comfortable, Velvet resignedly rose from her seat and headed towards Eleanor’s room.

~~~~~~~

“ _Leave us alone!” Eleanor slashed through another troll, the daemon fading to nothingness._

_But there were more trolls. And there were more screams._

_So Eleanor kept on fighting, defeating one troll after another after another, the crackling of the flames resonating in her ears._

_Until there were no more trolls except the boss himself, a scintillating stone resting on his neck._

_At the sight of him, Eleanor’s eyes filled with fury, her body enraged in a series of hacks and slashes. After battling the troll for some time, she finalized the relentless attack with a straight pierce into the troll’s chest._

_Only to find that the enemy was not the boss troll but her mother. Eleanor dropped her spear, her hands raised as she stepped back in horror._

“ _Why Eleanor? Why did you kill me? I can’t take care of you if you kill me.” her mother cried. “By killing me, you... you’re no better than a daemon!”_

“ _No! I-I didn’t do it on purpose! I was only trying to help-” Another cry from behind Eleanor interrupted her defense._

“ _Mommy... Mommy... why did you leave me all alone? Where are you? Mommy... I miss you,” Kamoana whimpered._

“ _I-I didn’t mean to! I...” Eleanor covered her ears with her hands, trying to block out the anger from her mother and the despair from Kamoana. “I was only trying to protect the people! Please, you need to understand! I wasn’t trying to rip Kamoana from her mother.” The screams gradually grew louder. “Please!”_

A splash of freezing water hit Eleanor’s face. She sat up instantly, gasps heaving from her body.

“V-Velvet?” Eleanor raised her head to look at Velvet, an irritated expression residing on the therion’s face. “What are you doing in my room? W-Where’s Kamoana?”

“She’s hanging out with Rokurou on the deck,” Velvet replied curtly. She handed a towel and the canteen she used earlier over to Eleanor. Eleanor took both and drank the remainder of the water after drying her face. “Kamoana told me you were having nightmares,” Velvet continued once Eleanor was done.

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

Eleanor hesitated before answering. “Since we arrived at Yseult.” She wrapped her arms around her knees. “But they became worse after Kamoana joined. It’s why I’ve been sending Laphicet off to Eizen’s room.”

“Are they about what happened back in Haria?”

“Sometimes. Sometimes they’re just memories of my village. Sometimes they’re about Kamoana. Most of the times they’re both.”

She could feel Velvet’s heavy gaze rest on her, silence lying between the two of them. Eleanor curled into herself even more, not wanting to feel the therion’s judgment.

Velvet finally sat on Eleanor’s bed, deliberating her next words. “You shouldn’t blame yourself too much for what happened. There wasn’t any way we could have saved her mother. She was too far gone, even with her love for Kamoana.”

Eleanor gripped her elbows harder. “Still though, I could have tried to understand. If I hadn’t been so blind, I could have-”

“Could have what? Saved her? Brought her on the ship with Kamoana? And then what? Watch her kill off Aifread’s crew one by one like she did with the exorcists?”

Velvet’s questions were met with more silence.

“Like I said, there wasn’t much we could do, so don’t beat yourself up over it.” Velvet stood from the bed. “Get some sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us and I can’t have you falling behind due to sleep deprivation. Laphicet and Kamoana will be worried too if you keep at this.” She glanced at Eleanor.

“You’re right.” Slowly, Eleanor shifted from her fetal position to a lotus position on top of the sheets. Velvet lifted an eyebrow.

“What are you doing?”

“Meditating. Father taught me to do this to calm my mind after the nightmares.”

“Father?”

“The monk who found and raised me after the incident.”

“...Has the meditation helped these past few days?”

“...Somewhat.” Eleanor closed her eyes.

A third silence fell again with Velvet observing Eleanor. She then left Eleanor to her own devices.

Only to reappear again a few minutes later dressed in her nightgown and with Kamoana in tow. Velvet knocked on the door, catching the exorcist’s attention.

“Velvet?” Eleanor questioned in confusion. The two therions walked up to Eleanor’s bed, Kamoana scrambling up first and crawling to the inside of the bed. Velvet stood at the edge.

“Lay in the bed,” she commanded. Eleanor, still very much confused, complied and laid down between the sheets next to Kamoana. Once both were settled, Velvet lifted the sheets and laid down next to Eleanor.

“Velvet! What are you doing?” Eleanor’s cheeks reddened.

“Trying another cure. Clearly the meditation’s not working.” Velvet turned and threw an arm over Eleanor’s waist.

“Yeah! Velvet says that we’re going to eat your daemons away!” Kamoana beamed. “You won’t have nightmares anymore if we’re both here!”

“I-I don’t know,” a flustered Eleanor fumbled.

“Just be quiet and go to sleep,” muttered Velvet, ending the conversation.

Eleanor was about to object once more, but decided against it. It had been a long time since she slept together with someone for comfort. Sure, she had been sleeping with Kamoana these past few days, but with the addition of Velvet, Eleanor felt safe and protected somehow, nestled between the two of them.

Later that night, when Eleanor dreamed again, the trolls were back. But there was also a gleeful Kamoana cheering in her presence.

And a wild daemon, arm as red as blood and hair as black as the night sky, ready to consume anything in its path.

~~~~~~~

Velvet woke up first of the three. She looked over to her companions. Kamoana was now clinging to Eleanor similar to how a koala cub clings to its parent. Velvet inadvertently smiled at the sight before focusing more on Eleanor.

Eleanor’s face was tilted towards Velvet, an arm wrapped protectively over Kamoana. The sunlight from the window danced over her face, giving her a faint glow.

_Huh. Laphicet was right. She does have a softer expression when she sleeps. And her hair is prettier when it’s down._

Velvet was about to brush a stray hair away from Eleanor’s face when she stopped herself. She quietly slipped out of the sheets. Pausing at the door, Velvet turned to look back at the bed again. Her grip on the door frame tightened.

_What am I doing? I can’t get too close._

Velvet shut her eyes, re-evaluating her feelings.

_I just need to make sure she’s okay for Laphicet. At least up until the point she double-crosses us. Then, she won’t matter anymore._

With that thought, Velvet recollected herself and left to join the others in the day’s activities.


	19. Ch. 17: An Escort Mission with Doubts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Van Eltia ships off to Titania with a new client.

_In the end, I couldn’t do it._

Eleanor leaned her head against the side of the ship, watching Kamoana and Laphicet play some games together.

_He trusts me._

She recalled Laphicet’s easy smile back in Loegres, the lack of suspicion in his voice.

_I couldn’t bear to break that trust, to see what use the Abbey has for him. After everything that has happened with Melchior and Kamoana._

Eleanor clutched the mirror in her hand tightly.

_But what do I do now? Most likely, that was one of the last opportunities I had to return to my old life. It’s difficult to say when I’ll get another chance._

_If I do though, could I really throw Laphicet away? Is that truly the right thing to do?_

_Lord Artorius..._

“Someone looks troubled. Would you like to talk about it?”

Startled, Eleanor whipped her head around, only to notice another friendly face.

“Prince Percival!” She immediately rose from her seat on the stairs, ready to bow.

The former prince chuckled and placed his hands on Eleanor’s shoulders, bringing her back to a standing position. “I’m no prince anymore, Eleanor. Not after my recent actions. There is no need for such formalities.”

“Oh,” Eleanor didn’t know what else to say. “Did you need me for something, Your Highness?”

Percival shook his head at the title. Some habits, it seemed, were hard to drop. “No, I don’t need anything. I came by because you seemed down.” He repeated his question from earlier. “Would you like to talk about it? Perhaps my perspective could help.” A wry smile appeared on his face before he finished, “As a fellow turncoat.”

Eleanor’s eyes widened at his last statement. Avoiding Percival’s eyes, she looked down at the floor.

_I’m not supposed to be a traitor, though._

“I was reflecting over one of my past decisions. My teacher had given me an assignment that I... couldn’t complete, even though I knew it was of the utmost importance.” Her hand fiddled with her sleeve. “It’s not like me to disobey orders. Yet, even if I could see my teacher’s reasoning behind the mission, see the justification, I couldn’t bring myself to follow through with it.”

Percival studied Eleanor, taking in her distraught state. He cleared his throat, catching her attention. “We may not know each other well, Eleanor, but you seem to have a good head on your shoulders. If you weren’t able to complete those orders, you must have had your reasons. Perchance the orders were not just.”

“But they were given by a well-respected, wise, teacher, Your Highness. One who knows what is best for the world.”

“Even the best of men have shadows, Eleanor. No one’s perfect.” The prince’s face transformed into a stern look. “Do you regret your decision?”

Eleanor opened her mouth, ready to respond with a drawn-out explanation, but she stopped, stewing in her thoughts some more. Her eyes flitted over to Laphicet, still happily playing with Kamoana. They later flitted upward to a pensive Velvet, reclining on the ship railing. Finally, they returned to the prince, revealing nothing but pure certainty.

“No. I don’t.”

Percival’s sternness faded away, replaced with a warm smile. “Then, you shouldn’t need to worry so much. As long as you are true to yourself, I believe that that is all that matters. There must have been something in those orders that conflicted with your beliefs.”

_Something that conflicted with my beliefs._

Deep down, Eleanor knew what it was, the cause of the conflict, but she refused to admit it.

Because if she did, it would mean throwing away the Abbey, throwing away all she’s ever known.

A shrill caw rang out, shattering the peace of the night. The prince’s hawk flew down, landing on Percival’s outstretched arm. The bird gave a few more whistles and hops once landed, elated at his newfound freedom.

“Heh, seems like my friend has had a long day. I will be taking my leave then, Eleanor.”

“Yes. Have a good rest, Your Highness. Thank you for listening to my troubles.”

“No worries. It would be rude of me to leave a maiden in distress.” With one last nod, the prince left with his hawk.

Eleanor took her seat on the stairs again, watching over Laphicet and Kamoana once more.

_Everyone has shadows, including Lord Artorius. But still, it’s hard to imagine someone like him, someone who always puts the people first, could be false._

Groaning to herself, Eleanor threw her head into her hands.

_I don’t know what to believe in anymore. What is right and what is wrong?_

 


	20. Ch. 17.1: A Family Date with Majelu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tickets are for Laphicet's growth, Velvet thinks to herself. They are most definitely, definitely not for Eleanor. Nope nope nope.

Earlier in Loegres...

“Here,” Velvet handed two sheets of paper to Eleanor.

“Huh? What’s this?” Eleanor accepted the papers and examined them.

She froze.

“T-This is... These are tickets for Majelu’s show! How did you get them?!” Her hands couldn’t stop shaking, the tickets creasing with the force.

“Eh. I just asked around. Take it and go watch the show with Laphicet. He should do something fun once in a while.”

“Oh,” Eleanor deflated a bit. “You’re not coming?”

“No point in wasting money. Things like dance and song don’t really interest me anyway.”

“Even if you say that, Majelu’s dance is really something to behold. You should watch it with us!” Noticing the stares around her, Eleanor realized that not only had she been shouting, she had also severely intruded upon Velvet’s personal space, her face a breath away from Velvet’s. Quickly retreating to a proper distance, she looked away bashfully, cheeks reddening. “Laphicet would probably enjoy it more if you went as well.”

Velvet sighed. “Those tickets aren’t cheap. If I wanted to watch a dance, can’t I watch you instead?”

She didn’t think it possible but Eleanor flushed an even deeper red as she stuttered, “M-Me?! Compared to Majelu? I’m not that good...” Eleanor fidgeted with her hands and then stopped when she realized something. “Wait, what do you mean, watch me? You’ve never seen me dance.”

Velvet shrugged. “The way you fight is close enough to dancing. Watching you train is good enough for me.”

“What?! T-That’s just training! It’s nothing like Majelu’s dance!” Flustered, Eleanor steered the conversation back to the main topic. “Anyways, you really should come with us to the show. If it’s an issue with money, we can use some of my savings. I don’t mind investing some money for Laphicet’s learning and can easily make up the difference lat-”

“You’re not going to give up on this, are you?”

“Like I said earlier, Laphicet would want you there as well. It’s not the same if it’s just the two of us,” Eleanor defended, unwavering in her stance.

Velvet glared at her, not wanting to lose. As always, though, Eleanor was her equal through and through, including stubbornness.

Velvet never stood a chance.

“Fine, fine. I don’t get why you’re so insistent, but I’ll go, too.” She waved a hand in the air, caving in. Eleanor’s face lit up.

“How is she so frustrating?” Velvet muttered under her breath once Eleanor was out of earshot.

Yet, it didn’t stop the smile forming on her lips.

Later in the afternoon, the trio went to enjoy Majelu’s performance outside the church. More accurately, Eleanor and Laphicet went to enjoy the performance with Eleanor fully engrossed, cheering wildly whenever Majelu pulled off a difficult maneuver. Laphicet sat beside her, in awe of the whole spectacle, never having experienced a show like this while conscious.

And Velvet?

While Majelu was technically the better performer, Velvet still couldn’t stop thinking that in the end...

_Eleanor is better._


	21. Ch. 18: Turmoil in Titania

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party finds out about Velvet's past.

Searching for Eleanor... again. It certainly carried a sense of déjà vu. Luckily, Velvet was catching onto the prison layout much more quickly than the Yvolg Ruins.

Unluckily, the exorcist was still difficult to find.

Velvet thrust the door open to one of the many guards’ rooms. Another dead end. Leaning against the door frame, she growled in frustration.

_This is such a pain. Where is she?!_

_And why is it my job to find her?_

Taking a few steady breaths, Velvet cleared her thoughts. Her mood wasn’t going to help her find Eleanor any faster.

_She’s probably upset from earlier. I lashed out at her._

But how could Velvet not lash out? Especially after returning to these familiar walls, these familiar memories of despair, daemons, and rage.

Of Seres.

And to see Eleanor still devotedly believing in the Savior, in Artorius, the same man who murdered her brother...

Even thinking about it made Velvet see red.

No, this won’t do. Velvet’s ultimate goal was to take down Artorius. And to do that, Velvet needed Eleanor on her side, not against her.

Having cooled down, Velvet wondered where the exorcist could be that she hasn’t checked yet.

_If I wanted to be away from everyone, where would I go?_

_Since everyone is inside, I would probably go out. I checked everywhere outside, though, didn’t I?_

_No._

_I didn’t look up._

Setting off for her next destination, Velvet hoped that she’d find the missing exorcist on one of the two towers.

~~~~~~~

Down below, the seas roared, crashing against the stone cold walls of the prison. Around her, the winds wailed, constantly blowing, threatening to shove her off the tower. And high above, ominous gray clouds stood by as if waiting for some unforeseen incident to occur. Eleanor quietly observed the environment surrounding her.

_If I remember my studies correctly, then this prison was established approximately three years ago._

...

_For three years, while I’ve been blindly studying the Abbey’s ideals, Velvet was suffering here, trapped within these walls, unable to do anything but drown in her grief and anger._

Eleanor clenched her hands into fists.

_It must have been so painful._

“ _A reason?! To spare the world of its pain? Don’t give me that! Who will spare my brother’s pain?! Who will soothe my brother’s despair?!”_

‘The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.’ The Abbey’s main principle. By sacrificing the few, many people were saved from daemonblight. Eleanor grimaced as she thought of the Abbey’s ‘few.’

Laphicet.

Kamoana.

Velvet’s brother.

Velvet.

If it had been her mother who was sacrificed, would Eleanor still believe that it was done for the greater good?

Would she still be able to follow the Abbey after everything she’s seen? After everything she’s learned?

And if she went back to the Abbey, would they throw her in the dark again? Just like Oscar did back at Palamedes. Pulling the wool over her eyes.

Could she live like that?

“There you are, Eleanor. Kamoana’s worried about you.” Interrupted from her thoughts, Eleanor turned to find Velvet standing across from her.

~~~~~~~

“Oh? You’re just going to leave her there? It’s not proper to leave a crying maiden alone,” Magilou jibed at Velvet.

“It is if she’s crying because of me. What are you doing here anyway, Magilou?” Velvet placed a hand on her hip. “Stalking me?”

“Heh, you wish you had someone as exquisite as me tailing after you,” Magilou winked. “Alas, that is not the case. One of the pirates told me that my treacherous assistant was lurking about in one of these towers, so I came searching for him. No sign of the pipsqueak here, but I did get front-row seats to a good show.” She grinned. “Our dear little exorcist seems awfully conflicted.”

“It’s because she thinks too much,” Velvet grumbled. “Always has to put everything on her shoulders.”

“Thinking too much might be a good thing for us, no? Perhaps her loyalties to the Abbey will shake.”

“We’ll see what happens,” Velvet murmured softly and began her descent on the ladder to the floor below.


	22. Ch. 19: Fishing for Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velvet doesn't have enough patience to fish up a therion.

Five minutes. Ten minutes. A half-hour. An hour.

Still there was nothing on the line.

Boredom slowly seeped into Velvet. Ever since she was freed from prison, life had always been about running from the Abbey or fulfilling the next objective. She wasn’t exactly used to things being... stagnant.

Hearing bits of chatter and giggles coming from her left also didn’t help. Tossing her rod aside, she went to go find Eizen and Rokurou.

“Eizen, can I talk to you for a second?” Velvet asked the first mate. She directed her head towards the quarter deck, motioning for the pirate to follow.

“Hmph, alright. It’s not like I was catching anything useful anyway.” He handed his rod over to Rokurou, giving the samurai a few extra warnings to not damage the rod. It was _the_ one and only Fujibayashi’s rod after all.

“What is this about?” Eizen questioned Velvet when they reached the upper deck. He ventured a guess. “Laphicet?”

“Yeah. Do you remember that favor I asked of you? Were you able to find another vessel for him?”

“Yes.”

“What?! Why didn’t you tell me?”

Eizen didn’t answer. Instead, he sauntered over to the railing and crossed his arms, his eyes pointed in Laphicet and Eleanor’s direction.

“He’s a growing boy, Velvet. In time, he’ll find and choose his own vessel.”

“In time, sure, he’ll find his own. But we don’t need to wait that long. We can help him now, so he doesn’t have to be so dependent on Eleanor.”

“Do you think Laphicet will like that? After everything that has happened this morning.”

Velvet gritted her teeth, a hand running through her hair.

“He’ll think we’re getting rid of Eleanor.”

Eizen acknowledged her with a nod. Velvet, still unsatisfied with his decisions, retorted again.

“You should have told me earlier, then, before this morning.”

“I thought about it.”

“Then why didn’t you?” She needed answers. If she knew that Eleanor could have been long gone instead of relating fishing stories to Laphicet—

“It was hard to gauge what Eleanor’s reaction would be if we replaced her as a vessel. I didn’t want to risk it. She’s been useful so far.” He threw a glance at Velvet. “I’ll keep the vessel with me for now. As backup only. I don’t plan on using it, and I don’t recommend you telling Laphicet either.”

The duo who had been quiet below suddenly became animated, Eleanor’s line taut with the mysterious catch. For a minute, the exorcist struggled with the rod, attempting to reel it in, but whatever was caught somehow managed to make a getaway.

“What did you think of her confession today?”

“Something that was bound to happen. The girl couldn’t keep secrets even if she tried.”

“You don’t think it was a ruse? Gaining our trust now that she’s told us her mission.”

A dry smile arose on Velvet’s face. “As much as I would love to say yes right now, using some cheap trick like that would be against her uptight morals. She’s telling the truth when she says she’ll help us.”

“...”

“What?” Velvet noticed Eizen’s attention on her.

“Nothing. I should get back to Rokurou and finish our competition.” Eizen took his leave, mulling over some new thoughts.

_Those two... I’ll need to keep a closer eye on their relationship. Maybe it will be more than Laphicet who needs Eleanor in the future._


	23. Ch. 20: Here be Dragons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleanor contemplates the existence of dragons, malevolence, and loss.

“Oh here you are, Eleanor.”

Eleanor perked up to find Rokurou strolling over to her bench. He sat down next to her and offered his sake bottle.

“Drink?”

“I’m underage, Rokurou.”

“Ha! Velvet said the same thing. How about some fruit, then?” This time, he offered a plate filled with all sorts of berries from the town. Eleanor thanked him and took the plate, sampling one of them in her mouth.

“Any reason you’re hanging outside? The innkeeper cooked up a fantastic blueberry pie today. You should come and try some.”

“I wanted some time to think.”

“Hmm,” Rokurou picked one of the berries. “You’ve been doing a lot of that lately. Brooding doesn’t suit you, you know? You should get out and enjoy life while you can!”

“Well, someone in our group has to take things seriously. Don’t you realize that we just tried to fight a dragon?!” she scolded.

“Yes, and what a mighty foe that was!” Rokurou declared, a surly grin on his face.

“That mighty foe was important to Zaveid!” Eleanor shouted, tears pricking at the edge of her eyes.

Rokurou sobered up instantly.

“I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to upset you.” He waited for Eleanor to compose herself.

“It must hurt him so much. To have someone so close but still so far. Unable to change anything.”

“What do you think he should do, though? Leave things be? Or do as Eizen says and put her out of her misery?” Rokurou stretched his arms over the bench, leaning back to appreciate the cloudless sky. “What would you do?”

Eleanor took her time to consider her response.

“Dragons can’t turn back. Logic dictates that she should be eliminated for everyone’s safety.”

“So you would still rely on the Abbey’s teachings in times like this.” Eleanor’s expression remained strained. Rokurou continued, “You want to kill the dragon.”

“No, I didn’t say that. I... I’m not sure. If it was someone I cared about and there was nothing that can be done, I would do it, to make sure nobody else gets hurt.” Eleanor trailed off, lost in thought. “But if there was a chance that they could be saved, even if it was a small one, I would probably take that chance, no matter the consequences. Maybe that’s what Zaveid feels.”

“Because you want to save everyone, huh?” Rokurou mused, watching a bird take flight from a tree branch above them.

“I’m not that ambitious. I know that it’s impossible to save everyone. But if they’re within my reach, then yes I would like to save them.”

The two fell into a comfortable silence after that, simply savoring the berries from Rokurou’s plate and listening to the wind dancing through the trees.

Rokurou slapped his hands on his knees and rose from his seat.

“Let’s make sure we all take good care of Laphicet and Eizen, then. Might be a tad difficult with our current mission, but I think we’ll manage.” He extended his hand for Eleanor to take. “Come on, we should get going. Wouldn’t want Magilou coming up with any strange ideas now, would we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of a slow update. And no Velvet and Eleanor together this time. Still, there's a lot of story left to explore, so going to continue forging on.


	24. Ch. 21: A Lonely Little Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleanor wonders if Kamoana has stopped crying.

It was late. And dark. And Velvet very much wanted to go to bed.

If only there wasn’t a man blocking the stairs.

“Eizen.”

“Velvet,” the pirate acknowledged, standing up to meet her.

“You’re in my way. Do you need something?”

“It’s about Eleanor.”

“What about her?”

“She was distracted today. Make sure you get this straightened out by tomorrow.”

“What are you talking about? She seemed well enough to me,” Velvet objected, trying to recall what happened earlier that day. Nothing she could remember had seemed notably amiss with Eleanor, the exorcist participating in their Hellawes investigation with her usual fervor. “And why is this my responsibility? If you think something’s wrong, talk to her yourself.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t believe this issue is something that I can help with,” Eizen shrugged. “Anyways, I’ll leave this up to you. Don’t forget that we’ll need all of us to be focused if we want to take down another therion.” He gave her an expectant look and stepped aside.

She returned his look with a glower.

“Fine, I’ll see what I can do, but there are no guarantees that anything’s going to come out of it.”

~~~~~~~

When Velvet reached their room, Eleanor was indeed spacing out in her bed. Reclining on the head rest, the exorcist observed the falling snow outside the window, her expression forlorn.

Velvet rapped the door, notifying her presence.

“Oh. It’s you, Velvet.”

She headed over to Eleanor, seating herself at the foot of the bed.

“What’s wrong?”

Eleanor looked at Velvet in confusion.

“Nothing’s wrong. What makes you say that?”

“Eizen. He said you were distracted today. So what is it?”

Eleanor’s eyes fell to her hands clutching the sheets. Velvet shifted herself further in so that she could lean her back against the wall, patiently waiting for Eleanor’s response.

“I’m worried about Kamoana.”

Huh. So that was what was affecting her. Even now when they were miles away, Eleanor’s heart still lied with the girl.

“She’ll be fine. She just needs to cry it out. All kids do that.”

“She can’t keep crying, though. That’s not...”

Her hands dug into the sheets harder, but no more words came for a few seconds.

“I was like her, too, once. A lonely little girl constantly crying for her mother to come back.” Her eyes rose to meet Velvet’s. “I don’t want that for Kamoana, though. She shouldn’t have to suffer like I did.”

Eleanor paused, her lips quivering. “But I don’t know how else I can help her. When she was crying back at Titania, I... I couldn’t do anything!” Tears of frustration slid down her face.

Velvet let the tears fall.

_How long has this been on her mind? Saving Kamoana._

The image of Kamoana sobbing back in Titania arose in Velvet’s mind, only to replaced by another image of Eleanor as a child sobbing the same cries.

“ _Mommy, Mommy. Where are you? I miss you...”_

_It must have been tough, to be the only survivor at such a young age. When Celica died, I at least still had Arthur and Laphi to rely on. And when Laphi died..._

Velvet’s left hand unconsciously closed into a fist and she instantly banished the thought. It wouldn’t have helped Kamoana, anyway.

When Eleanor began recollecting herself, Velvet finally spoke up.

“You do enough already, Eleanor.”

Eleanor’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth, but Velvet didn’t give her a chance to speak.

“By being there for her when she needs you. I think that’s enough.”

“But still–”

“If Kamoana needs something more, we’ll work something out then.” Velvet turned her head to look at Eleanor. “There’s six of us here, right? Seven I guess, if you count Bienfu. I don’t see why you have to figure this out alone.”

Eleanor blinked, taking a few moments to absorb the statement. “You’re right. I’ll try to remember that.” Her hands let go of the sheets and she smiled softly. “Thank you.”

Velvet scoffed, facing forward again. “Thank Eizen. He was the one who was worried about you.”

“All right, I will do that tomorrow morning,” Eleanor replied, still smiling.

Seeing that the exorcist’s mood was better, Velvet rose from Eleanor’s bed, ready for some well-earned rest. Once she was done changing and snug in her own bed, she heard Eleanor call out her name.

“Velvet?”

“Hmm?”

“Good night.”

With her back towards Eleanor, Velvet hid a small smile to herself. Of course, Eleanor would stay awake to tell her something as simple as that.

“Good night.”


	25. Ch. 22: Mothers and Daughters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Medissa learns more about her kidnappers.

Eleanor’s fingers skimmed the rim of the open mirror, feeling the grooves and scratches it had obtained over the years.

“Was that from someone important?”

Eleanor looked up to see Medissa in front of her. The woman took a seat on one of the scattered boxes nearby.

“Yes, it was from my late mother. Seeing you and Kamoana reminded me of her.” She took another look before closing the mirror. “How’s Kamoana?”

“Fast asleep. But before she did, she told me several stories about you and Laphicet.” Medissa smiled. “You’ve been taking good care of her.”

“I... it’s the least I can do. Too much has happened to her.” Eleanor gazed at the mirror nestled between her hands. “I’m glad you’re here, though, Medissa. You can help her so much more than I ever could.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit, Eleanor. I can see how much you want to help her. If not, you wouldn’t have freed an enemy like me.”

“Velvet did scold me for that,” Eleanor murmured, the edges of her lips quirking up. “I had faith that you weren’t the enemy, though.”

“A correct assumption.”

For a while, neither said anything, the conversation hitting a dead end. Medissa glanced at the mirror still in Eleanor’s hands.

“Eleanor, what do you think about when you look at that mirror?”

“Huh?”

“I’m sorry, was that too intrusive? You don’t need to answer if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s fine, Medissa.” Eleanor replied. “I’ve just never been asked that question before.”

She re-opened the mirror, seeing her reflection.

“I think about many things. My old village, the friends I used to play with, memories of when my mother was alive. Recently, though, I’ve been thinking about the path I’ve chosen for myself... and what my mother would think about that path.”

Eleanor looked up from the mirror, her eyes boring into the opposite wall.

“Before all this, I was an exorcist, a proud believer in the Abbey, someone who was supposed to change the world for the better. And now... Now, I’m still an exorcist but a traitor, purposely destroying lives instead of saving them.”

She shut the mirror once more, stashing it away in her pocket.

“I don’t regret my actions. But I wonder sometimes if my mother would agree with my choices. Or if she’d be disappointed that I’ve abandoned the Abbey.”

Medissa simply listened to Eleanor’s thoughts, slowly contemplating her own answer. What would she say to Diana if it was Diana in Eleanor’s place?

She spoke up once it seemed that Eleanor had finished.

“I don’t know your mother so I can't say what your mother would think. But as a mother myself, I would think that she would spend more time worried about you.” Eleanor turned her head to face Medissa. A visible frown laid on Medissa’s lips.

“This is a dangerous fight you’re taking, Eleanor, going against the Abbey. For a mother, her child’s life will always comes first, no matter what path they took.”

Medissa’s frown lightened up. She placed a comforting hand on Eleanor’s shoulder.

“That said, I don’t believe that your mother would be disappointed in you, Eleanor. Look at the woman you’ve become. Strong, just, and kind. The fact that you’re able to stay that way despite all the darkness surrounding you is a symbol of your strength.”

Eleanor attempted a smile, but failed miserably. Medissa gathered the girl into her arms, letting Eleanor rest her head on her shoulder. She finished her thoughts.

“If anything, your mother would be proud of you.”

~~~~~~~

“Lord of Calamity.”

“Hmm?” Velvet turned around. Only one person called her that.

And just as she expected, Medissa was there, disapproval painted all over her face.

“Medissa.”

Medissa’s expression didn’t change.

“Did you have something to say or are you just here to scorn me?” Velvet wasn't in the mood today to deal with Medissa's snipes.

“Laphicet and Eleanor,” the snake therion stated. “They’re not like the rest in your party. How did they join you?”

Velvet crossed her arms over her chest. “I kidnapped them,” she deadpanned.

“Of course.” Medissa walked past Velvet to stand at the edge of the harbor. She spotted the two in question, busy assisting the pirates in preparing the Van Eltia for departure. “They don’t seem to act as if they’ve been kidnapped, so they must have their reasons for staying with you.”

Velvet turned again to face Medissa but remained silent, wary of the other therion.

“I’d like to make a request.” Medissa spoke up again.

“Hmph, didn’t think someone like you would stoop so low to request something from the Lord of Calamity.”

“It’s not like you left me much choice. Whether I support or oppose you, I will have to remain here, won’t I?”

“Fine then, what is your request?”

Medissa looked back to Laphicet and Eleanor, wrapping up their work with the pirates.

“That if you have to leave the rest of the world in destruction, you leave those two intact. Laphicet and Eleanor are good people. Don’t break them.”

“Is that it?” Velvet replied.

“Yes.”

“Then you should have saved your breath. I won’t let anything hurt them. Including myself.” A glint of fire burned beneath golden eyes. “I leave Kamoana and the others in your care.”

Medissa nodded, watching the other therion reunite with the rest of the party at the pier, the oft-discussed pair immediately joining her side. From her position, Medissa could see the tension in Velvet’s shoulders relax the moment she saw the other two.

“Hmm, I guess even the Lord of Calamity needs a heart.”


	26. Ch. 22.1: Tag, You’re It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was just a game of tag. Nothing more.

“Tag! You’re It, Velvet!” Kamoana’s hand swatted at her wrist before the girl rushed off, giggling to herself.

Velvet threw a quick glance at the tagged wrist. She then looked upward, spying Laphicet, Eleanor, Medissa, and Kurogane in the room as well.

“Who else is playing?”

“Laphicet and Eleanor!” Kamoana called out, hiding behind some boxes. Velvet located the two of them, Laphicet hovering on the left side, Eleanor stationed on the right. A dash of fear flashed through Laphicet’s eyes. Determination quickly masked it, though, the boy not wanting to lose despite his short stature.

Velvet’s lips curled into a smirk. She could see Laphicet’s heels dig in the ground, preparing to flee for his life.

_Still, I should play more fairly._

She bolted towards Eleanor.

The exorcist had been expecting this, however, smoothly twisting out of Velvet’s reach. Catching herself, Velvet swung around in another attempt to tag her, only to find nothing but air, Eleanor having backed away a few steps.

_Tch. All that polearm training really taught her how to keep her distance._

Undeterred, Velvet kept on the offense, closing in and swiping at Eleanor. However, being unable to use her legs to tag put Velvet at a significant disadvantage. Eleanor swiftly pivoted out of the way again, focused on maintaining a decently-sized gap between her and Velvet. For a while, it seemed that the two were locked in a never-ending dance. Velvet continually chased after Eleanor, fiercely trying to get any hit in. Yet, Eleanor was always able to dodge at the last second, staying just out-of-reach.

“Go Eleanor!” Velvet could heard Kamoana cheer in the background. “Don’t let scary Velvet get you! You can do it! Stay strong!” More hollers of encouragement followed.

For Eleanor at least. For Velvet, it only served to aggravate her, her movements becoming more harried and reckless.

Laphicet must have been getting exasperated, too. Because Velvet later heard another call, much louder than any of Kamoana’s.

“Come on, Velvet! What are you doing?! This should be a piece of cake for you!”

And if Laphicet wants something, Velvet will surely fulfill it.

While maintaining the impression that she was still pursuing Eleanor, Velvet scanned the rest of the room, seeing what could be used to one-up the exorcist.

_Got it._

Steadily, Velvet guided the two of them towards the closest wall, carefully observing Eleanor’s evasion tactics. With a left swing, she sidestepped three steps away from Velvet. A right swing drove Eleanor two backsteps to the right. Lastly, a direct thrust caused her to leap backwards and retreat four more steps.

_Time to finish this._

Velvet lunged for Eleanor, her left hand arcing in a huge swing. Sure enough, Eleanor moved three steps to her left.

But Velvet hadn’t been aiming for Eleanor that time. Using the wall for support, Velvet rebounded, angling herself towards Eleanor’s estimated position.

And this time, whether due to lack of anticipation or simply exhaustion, Eleanor wasn’t able to escape. As the two flew in the air, Velvet made sure to twist them so that Eleanor was above her. Her back screamed in pain when they crashed into the ground, skidding over the cold dungeon stones.

“Tag, you’re It.”

Velvet heard no response from the exorcist safely tucked between her arms. All of a sudden, Eleanor shot up, her face beet-red. “I-I’m sorry!” she sputtered, her eyes flickering to Velvet’s.

Funny, Velvet doesn’t remember ever being so close to Eleanor before, Eleanor’s hair hanging down to obscure Velvet’s vision of the outside world. For a moment, the only thing she could see was Eleanor’s face with her bright green eyes, rosy cheeks, and...

“My, my! Some of us are getting frisky. Didn’t think you had it in you, Eleanor.” Magilou clapped her face in her hands, making a horrified expression. “And in front of the kids, too. How daring!”

Beside her, Bienfu winked at them, the normin looking a lot more excited than usual. “Looks like even Lady Eleanor has a wild side, Miss Magilou.”

“W-What! We-We weren’t doing anything like that.” Eleanor leapt to her feet instantly. Velvet also sat up from the floor, though she made no effort to stand after that. “We were playing tag with the kids and Velvet was It.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! Ask Kurogane and Medissa.”

At this, a deep voice boomed out. “I have no eyes nor ears to see or listen. Therefore, I am unable to testify whether or not a game of tag occurred.”

Rokurou howled, slapping the blacksmith’s back. "You were just waiting for the chance to say that, weren't you?" He poured some sake out of his canteen into Kurogane’s cup. “A shot for the joke!”

“Ugh, you guys...” Eleanor slapped a hand to her forehead. “Medissa, please?”

“I can only say that it started as a game of tag,” Medissa responded, subtly lifting a hand to conceal her expression.

“Wha–” Eleanor stared at Medissa, dumbstruck. She turned back to face Magilou, Magilou’s grin growing wider at the minute. “It was only a game of tag, I swear! It wasn’t leading to anything. Velvet and I–we’re not like that, okay? A-Anyways, it’s late so I’ll be going to bed now. Good night!”

She stomped off in the direction of their makeshift inn, her blush remaining in full force.

Kamoana darted to Medissa’s side after Eleanor left. The girl seemed perplexed by the situation.

“Medissa, what’s wrong with Eleanor? Why was she so red?” Kamoana asked. “Oh! Is she sick? Should we get her medicine? Mom has this awwwwful medicine that might help.”

“No Kamoana, Eleanor is fine. Now why don’t we head to your room? It’s past your bedtime.”

“Awww, I don’t want to. I want... to play... some more...” Kamoana yawned as Medissa picked her up and carried her out, leaving the others.

Someone tugged at Eizen’s sleeve. He looked down to see Laphicet looking almost as bewildered as Kamoana was earlier.

“Eizen, why was Magilou making such a big deal over Velvet and Eleanor? Am I missing something?”

Oh. So the girls hadn’t had this conversation with Laphicet yet. Eizen debated whether or not to tell him. On one hand, Laphicet was working hard to grow up and become a man and Eizen was ready to fully support his wishes.

On the other hand, Laphicet was only ten years old.

“You’ll understand when you grow up.”

Laphicet pouted at him, completely unsatisfied with this treatment.

Meanwhile, Velvet had finally stood up from sitting on the stones. Magilou floated towards her.

“I’m disappointed. You’re dreadfully blasé about the whole thing.”

“Why should I be embarrassed over something that didn’t happen?”

“Hmm. If we follow that logic then, that means you’ll get embarrassed over things that did happen, right?” The wicked grin crossed Magilou’s face again. “We never did tell Eleanor the true story of the black-chested dove, did we?”

“What?! No! Don’t you dare, Magilou!” Velvet scrambled to chase after the cackling witch, hints of pink rising on her cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is inspired by nothing in canon, but Kamoana's love of games, though I don't even remember if she plays tag in the game.
> 
> Actually, this is just here cause I needed a break. When I wrote the original drafts of Ch. 20-22, it was like a 1-2-3 punch (Hopefully it doesn't seem so much as this when reading it now). So this is me recovering by attempting fluff? Maybe.
> 
> Warning that the next update is going to take longer. Probably towards the end of the month. And then back to semi-regular updates again hopefully.


End file.
